


What a Handsome Clone

by GammaGreenShe_Hulk



Series: It Was Only a Movie, Wasn't It? [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: Fanfiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-20
Updated: 2013-11-12
Packaged: 2017-12-29 11:23:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1004854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GammaGreenShe_Hulk/pseuds/GammaGreenShe_Hulk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I thought it was just a movie. I was playing a CHARACTER from a COMIC BOOK for goodness sake. How did this happen? Aw, hell. Who cares? This is AWESOME! Let's PARTY!!!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Is That... Me???

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, duckies (Sorry I don't know why I'm obsessed with calling you guys that lol Might be because of RDJ ehehehe) I have a new story that will be part of a series. All the stories will have the same basis, which I won't give away. You'll just have to read and find out. :) Happy reading. Enjoy. Comments are welcome.

Robert knew from the moment he was awake enough to think clearly that he was going to wander around Midtown Manhattan, New York. He had no idea why he knew, but he knew. The entire time he was taking a shower, getting dressed, and even while he was taking the elevator to the lobby of his hotel, that thought was there. It buzzed around his mind like a gnat. "Alright, alright. I'll wander around aimlessly. Just buzz off already," Robert muttered to the annoying thought, swatting the air like it was a real thing that was buzzing around his head. When he got outside it was like someone had taken control of his feet. He was walking without having made a decision to do so. Robert looked around, taking in his surroundings while he adjusted his sunglasses and pulled his hat down lower. 

It was a beautiful October day in New York. It was late in the month and yet the weather wasn't unbearably cold on this particular day. Robert turned up the collar on his coat and kept walking with his head kind of down, hiding. He had the feeling he was being watched. _Of course you're being watched. There **are** still people who think they recognize you. And there are people who just **observe** people. It's nothing new._ So why was he suddenly nervous and a little anxious? Robert tried to shake off the feeling and enjoy the nice weather. Movement off to the side caught Robert's attention. Not knowing what to expect, he turned his head slowly to see what had caught his eye.

There was no one in the shop he was standing next to. _Jumping at your own reflection. Smooth._ Robert was turning away chuckling when he thought he saw the camera inside the shop move. That wasn't right. It looked like it had moved from being focused on **him**. That couldn't be right. His mind was playing tricks on his eyes. Yeah, that was a logical explanation. Now if he could only calm his racing heart.

A few times Robert was approached by someone who had recognized him and wanted an autograph or to say hi. They never caused a scene, so huge groups never formed around him. Robert was being left mainly to his own devices, and today he was glad. He didn't want anyone asking what was wrong when his eyes shifted nervously to some point behind their head. He didn't want to explain that he felt like he was being watched. He didn't care if people thought he was crazy, but someone might assume the worst, and that was one thing he did _not_ want to happen. The day was almost completely uneventful, minus the skin crawling feeling he kept getting. Robert couldn't figure out why he felt like he was being watched. Did he suddenly have a stalker? That was a possibility, one he hoped wasn't true, but it was still possible. "I think you're finally going batty, old boy," he mumbled to himself in his imitation of Jude's Watson. "Battier than usual?" he replied to himself in his Sherlock voice. "Am I really having a conversation with myself?" that was Tony Stark.

Well that was funny. Robert almost thought he actually heard Tony Stark talking. _Can't be,_ he thought, unless someone was watching one of the movies with the volume turned up too loud. But no, that wasn't dialog from any of the movies. "Jarvis, can you get me the camera feed from the Malibu house," came his voice again. **His** voice, but as Tony Stark. Robert could tell just by the _way_ he was talking. _It has to be someone doing an impression. Yeah, someone is just doing an impression of Tony Stark._ It was a valid reason for the voice, but Robert found himself not believing it. He tugged the hat down lower over his face and pulled the collar up and kept walking, quickening his pace. When he was able, Robert turned the next corner intending to head back to his apartment a different way that he had left.

"Jarvis?" _"What can I do for you this time, sir?"_ This time Robert thought he heard J.A.R.V.I.S. reply to Tony. "Are you sure this guy isn't crazy?" Tony asked the AI. Robert chuckled. _Great now I'm actually hearing voices. This means I am going crazy._ Robert turned around and looked back where he had just came. Then he scanned the other side of the street as he turned back around to continue walking. Did someone just duck into that cafe when he turned around? "Now you're paranoid," Robert grumbled to himself. He kept walking, deciding at the last minute to go to Central Park.

The subway ride to Central Park consisted of Robert occasionally hearing Tony say something to Jarvis or Pepper and them replying to them. Sometimes one of the other Avengers would walk in and ask Tony something. Robert was honestly thought he was going crazy. It was only when he was getting off at 57 Street Station that he realized why he was hearing all of this. He wasn't going crazy, he had his Bluetooth in his ear from this morning when he was talking to his agent, Bryan, about another audition. Someone was probably playing a prank on him and playing audio clips from people doing voice impressions of him and the rest of the cast. Robert laughed when he took the tiny device from his ear and put it in his pocket with his phone. He no longer heard the voices of the Avengers or, most importantly, Tony Stark. With a smile on his face, Robert walked the two and a half blocks to the park in a brighter mood.

It took a little longer than four minutes to get to the park, but when he finally did set foot in the park, Robert was singing _Faithfully_ by Journey under his breath. "What a wonderful day to take a walk in the park," Robert said brightly to no one in particular. He might have heard a grunt in response that sounded a lot like his own, but he ignored it if he did. Instead Robert smiled at people as they passed and enjoyed his walk around a decent part of the park. He wandered over the the Victorian Gardens Amusement Park and made some kids very happy by giving out autographs and riding rides with them and taking pictures with them. Then he left the kids to their parents and walked to the Pond.

Robert was sitting in a fairly secluded spot near the Pond when he thought he felt someone watching him again. He reached down for his pepper spray and turned around to see if he could spot the culprit. Not seeing anyone, Robert decided he should move back to a more populated and safe place before he got into some trouble.

He didn't know why, but the moment he stood up his feet began leading him towards the opposite corner of the park, near the Columbus Circle. Robert pondered over it for a while, but didn't give it too much thought before he shrugged and went with it. Robert walked over to look at the USS Maine monument. The hair on the back of his neck prickled and he turned around. His gaze was drawn to the Museum of Arts and Design. A young girl with light brown hair walked up and stood next to him. Robert looked over at her and smiled. She smiled back. "You know, I read that the Stark Tower is located on the corner of Broadway and 58th Street near the Columbus Circle. So I figure it would be right where the museum is," the girl said.

Robert chuckled and smiled at her again. "I did not know that. I should look that up. It's nice to know my fans know more about Tony Stark and his life than I do," he said, mock thoughtful. That earned a laugh from the young lady at his side. She turned around when someone called her name, turned back and asked for a quick picture and autograph, then left to finish her tour of New York with her friends. Robert smiled and watched her go, waving when she waved at him. When they were lost in the crowd, Robert turned around to study the museum again. "It seems like I can't get away from you today, doesn't it, Tony?" he muttered under his breath.

The air seemed to shimmer around the museum building and Robert could have sworn that he saw the Stark Tower sitting there instead. It looked exactly like it did in the Avengers movie, but instead of it reading STARK on the tower it only had a lone A. Robert blinked and shook his head, wondering if he was hallucinating because of all of the smog in the city. When he looked up again he was relieved to see the museum was there where it should be. "What the hell is _wrong_ with me today?" he wondered aloud. Some of the people walking past him gave him looks, but he ignored them. Right now all he wanted was to get home, relax, and forget about Tony Stark.

Robert almost ran back to the 57 Street Station but he caught himself and tried to act casual. He got on Subway F and made sure the volume for the Bluetooth was all the way down and it was off before he put it back in his pocket. The subway ride was, thankfully, quiet. He surfaced at the W 4 Street Station and almost ran to his home in Greenwich before he remembered it was a longer walk there than to Central Park from the station and the crazy intersection where it seemed like every street in New York converged wasn't one he felt like dodging and weaving through, so he hailed a cab.

If he thought he could get away from Tony at home, Robert was terribly wrong. The moment he walked in the door he heard what he was trying to avoid. "Dummy, look alive. You're on standby for fire safety. You, roll it. Okay. Activate hand controls. We're gonna start off nice and easy, see if 10% thrust capacity achieves lift. In three... two... one...," Robert heard Tony say as he walked into the living room. He laughed when Tony was flung back into the ceiling and got doused by Dummy. "Serves you right for following me around all day like a stalker," Robert muttered to the television. He watched for a bit longer before he decided to leave again.

Susan looked at Robert as he turned to leave. "I never realized how strange it was to watch myself on television," he said as an explanation to her when she inquired why he was leaving when he'd just gotten in. Susan didn't seem to accept that but let him go anyway. Robert made sure to leave the Bluetooth. He gave Susan a kiss when he walked by her to set the Bluetooth on the side table. Robert told Susan and Indio that he loved them both, then walked in to check on Exton, who was sleeping soundly. Robert smiled, shut the door quietly, then left the house again.

"Why can't I seem to get away from you?" Robert said irritably to himself. He decided to walk this time, where to, he wasn't sure, but he was going to walk. He didn't get far before he saw something in the sky in front of him between the buildings. He saw a red dot in front of a yellow streak which could only be one thing. Robert shook his head and continued walking, hoping he was the only one who saw that. He didn't hear anyone say anything about Iron Man so it was safe to say he was the only one. Something fell heavily into his pocket and when Robert went to retrieve whatever it was, he heard the crackle of paper. _What could that be?_ he wondered sarcastically as he pulled out his Bluetooth and a note. The note read 'Put the Bluetooth in so we can talk. It keeps people from thinking you're crazy'

Robert snorted and replaced the Bluetooth in his ear. "Now isn't this easier?" came the voice in his ear. To Robert, Tony sounded smug and semi sarcastic. "So, why did you leave before you even got to the good part, i.e. me flying?" Tony sounded hurt this time, but Robert knew it wasn't genuine. Tony was just being Tony. He knew because he **was** Tony.

"I already know what happens in the movie, and the other three that had Iron Man in them. I played you, remember? Not only that, but I've seen them all a good number of times," Robert had no idea why he was entertaining whoever it was that thought they were Tony Stark. He figured this was all a ruse by some crazy stalker/ fan. He guessed the only reason he went along with it was because he and his family might be in danger if he didn't. "What do you want?" Robert asked a little more forcefully than he'd intended. _What if this **was** Tony Stark? If he were real, did that mean the others were, too?_ He hoped that if they were real, he didn't have to deal with all of them.

Tony wasn't fazed a bit by Robert's tone of voice. It was as if he knew Robert wouldn't believe he was actually Tony. He proved that point by saying, "I want to get to know the man that portrayed me so well in four movies that ended up being huge hits. You helped me gain fans in another dimension," Robert heard the smile in his voice. He rolled his eyes. "I know you probably don't believe me, but don't worry. I'll prove to you that I am indeed the one and only, original Anthony Edward Stark," Robert could imagine him puffing his chest up as he said that, a self-confident smile on his face.

"And how do you plan on proving you're actually Tony without making people think that there's a clone of me running around New York?" When Robert said clone, Tony laughed. "Don't worry, I won't steal your spotlight. You'll be the only one that knows I'm there, trust me," Robert said he did. "Good, now let's meet up somewhere convenient. How about," Tony trailed off to think. Robert heard him ask Jarvis to bring up a map of Manhattan Island. "Okay, that works," Robert heard Tony say. "Meet me in Abingdon Square Park. I'll be waiting," then he disconnected. Robert knew Tony was confident he would come. And he was going to meet Tony at the park because he was curious despite himself.

Robert didn't know what to expect when he finally got to Abingdon Square Park. He looked around for himself _(strange way to think about it, but it's the truth)_ or any of the Iron Man suits. He didn't see anything. The Bluetooth told him he had a call incoming. Robert answered it. "Can't find me? You look lost. I'll give you a hint: Mark 42. Now look around," and with that Tony disconnected again. Robert looked around and saw the Mark 42 sitting on a bench by itself on the other side of the park. He wondered if Tony was in it or not. He couldn't tell if anyone was sitting next to the suit because that part of the bench was hidden from his view by plants and a group of people that were walking by.

He walked over and saw that Tony was in the suit. Robert sat on the bench next to Tony.

And it was indeed Tony Stark. The man sitting next to him in a real life Iron Man suit was, well **him**. Tony smiled and nodded to the people walking past. "No one can see or hear me. You're the only one. Here I'll prove it," he said when Robert didn't seem too sure. Tony stood up and waved to a woman who looked right at him. "Hello, would you like to see my suit?" The woman walked by like she hadn't even heard him. He demonstrated again, but this time he moved to stand right in the path of an oncoming jogger. The man went right through Tony like he was a holograph. Tony sat back down and looked at Robert. "Believe me now?" Robert nodded and moved his arm like he was making a move on a woman sitting next to him so he could touch the suit. His hand passed right through it. "You can only touch if I want you to," Tony said with a smile and a chuckle as Robert readjusted his arm on the top of the bench. "But not here. Obviously people would wonder what you're doing. Right now you're talking to a friend on the phone," Robert nodded again.

"So, why did you decide now would be a good time to call me?" Robert made it seem like he was on the phone when he talked to Tony, looking around so people wouldn't think he was talking to himself, and trying not to stare at the person that wasn't really there sitting next to him on the bench.

"Well, I wanted to test out something new I had just finished. It's a device that let's me travel to other dimensions, but only me. So no, the others are not here running around in your New York. I also can't change anything here. People will see me but they won't know it's _me_ unless I want them to, but I won't because it could mess something up. So they'll just see me as a random unassuming guy if I want them to see me at all. And before you ask, I wanted to test it out here because I did, well I do, want to meet you. Jarvis told me I needed to spend time with someone who was more like me. And I'm kinda off Avengers duty because of an injury," Tony looked kind of embarrassed because he had gotten hurt and a little upset that he couldn't go out and be Iron Man and save the world.

Robert wanted to know what had happened, but he didn't ask. He figure Tony would tell him, either now or later, or it would become apparent to him what had happened. He couldn't see anything wrong right now because Tony was in the suit. "You said the device let you come here. Would it allow me to go there, too?" he asked, his voice a little hopeful. Tony chuckled and nodded. Robert smiled. "Does that also mean you would be willing to show me Stark Tower sometime?" Tony nodded again. "Will you tell me how you managed to make this device?"

Tony nodded and stood up. "I'll tell when we get back to your house. It's more private there. We don't want anyone hearing something that might mean you're going crazy," he chuckled. Robert stood up and together they walked back toward Greenwich Village. Tony left once so he could take off the suit. When he came back, Robert saw that he was wincing whenever he put his left foot down very hard, so he was sort of limping but trying not to limp.

Robert was still having a hard time believing that he was walking next to Tony Stark. He still thought there was a chance that he was dreaming or hallucinating or going crazy. They talked a bit as they walked. Mostly they talked about things that wouldn't draw attention to Robert. Neither of them wanted to be stopped by fans right now because it was starting to get late. "What do you think your friends would think if they saw me?" Tony asked, smiling at Robert. He thought about it and chuckled. Robert wondered about it. "Do you mean the friends that play the rest of the Avengers?" Tony nodded. "Hmm. Well first they'd think it was some sort of joke, that you were a look a like I had found. When they saw the suit in action, well I don't know how they would react. I don't really know how I would react honestly," Robert glanced at Tony, glad he was wearing sunglasses. Sadly, Tony was, too, so Robert couldn't tell where he was looking. Tony looked at Robert again and turned around to walk backwards in front of Robert.

"You still don't believe me, do you?" he asked Robert. Robert shook his head and Tony sighed. "I'll just have to fix that, now won't I?" He turned thoughtful again and Robert wondered what the genius had in mind. "When we get back to your house and you're able to slip away, then I'll prove that I'm not a figment of your imagination," Tony nodded to himself, seeming satisfied with whatever he had come up with.

When Robert walked into the house, Susan, Indio, and Exton were sitting in the living room watching tv. "You! I swear to God, I'll dismantle you! I'll soak your motherboard, turn you into a wine rack!" came Tony's irritated voice from the television. Tony smiled happily and ran in to watch. He sat down unnoticed in the only available chair. "Poor Dummy," Robert muttered as he followed Tony. Susan was sitting on the couch holding a sleeping Exton and Indio was on the other side taking up the rest of the couch, which left the chair that Tony was currently occupying. Tony patted his lap and wagged his eyebrows. Robert tried not to roll his eyes or make a disgusted noise.

Susan looked over when she realized Robert was standing between the couch and the chair. "If you want to sit down, I was just about to take Exton to bed," she said quietly so she wouldn't wake him. Indio nodded a greeting to his father then stretched when Susan stood up. Robert kissed Exton's head then watched Susan walk away until she was out of sight around the corner. Indio yawned and decided to turn in. He said good night to Robert then left for his room. Robert heard him tell his mother he was going to bed and heard them exchange good night's. Susan came back into the living room and sat down. Robert glanced at Tony, who was enjoying the movie, then sat down next to her.

Robert kept glancing at Tony without realizing it. Susan, however, did notice. "Are you alright?" she asked him, sounding a little concerned. Robert smiled and assured her he was fine. He kissed her hair and pulled her back against him. They sat like that until Robert noticed that she had fallen asleep. Gently, trying not to wake her up, Robert carried his dozing wife to their room and tucked her in. He kissed her forehead then quietly closed the door.

When he got back into the living room, Robert saw that Tony had moved. He was now sitting on the couch. Robert walked over and turned the tv off. Tony looked up at him as he took out the Bluetooth he just realized was still in his ear. "Why did you turn me off?" Robert ignored the innuendo and walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water. Tony, of course, followed him, but not before he had turned the tv back on. "It's less conspicuous is you talk to me with the tv as background noise. And if they hear me talking, they'll assume it's just the movie and they won't come to investigate. I promise I won't talk too loud," Tony help up his left hand, his right over his heart like he was taking an oath. _Great, I have to deal with my own snark. This is just weird._

"So, tell me about this device. It sounds like you must have had help. I mean, I know you're a genus but I have a feeling it took more than science to pull this off," Robert gestured to Tony when he said 'this' to clarify what he meant. Tony walked over and grabbed the glass out of Robert's hand. Robert looked shocked and grabbed it back before Tony could take a drink out of it. "What do you think you're doing? Get your own drink. You're solid here now so you are perfectly capable of it," Robert didn't mean to snap but he was tired and confused and disgusted at the thought of drinking after Tony. All of this was so confusing. It was too much to try to understand. He needed to sleep. "I'm sorry I snapped but right now I need to get some sleep. We can talk about who may or may not have helped make this possible tomorrow. And don't do anything stupid," he gave Tony a look knowing Tony would understand what he was talking about. His grin told Robert that he did know.

"I'll behave. I'm going home to go to bed, too because now that you mention it," Tony yawned, "I'm tired now, too. Here," Tony set a cell phone down on the counter next to Robert. "Call me when you wake up. If I don't answer, leave a message and Jarvis will wake me up. That's yours to keep in case you want to get in contact with me. Good night, Robert." Tony disappeared before Robert could reply.

Robert picked up the phone Tony had set down. It was a Stark phone just like in the movie, Completely see-through screen with black around the edges. Robert was amazed. Before he went to bed he made sure he understood how it worked. When he found the contacts list, there was only one name: Tony Stark. Robert sighed and put the phone with his and the Bluetooth in the side table drawn in his bedroom. _Tomorrow is going to be crazy,_ was his last thought before drifting off to sleep. And how right he was.


	2. This Had Better Work, Jarvis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We finally get to hear the story of how this mysterious device was created from Tony's point of view.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, duckies, here is chapter two for your reading pleasure. And before you read any further, be warned. I have decided that each of the stories in this series will include some situation where one or both of the characters is naked (I will not go into detail during those and it will not result in yaoi. These are not shipping stories, these are my thoughts on "what would happen if so-and-so met so-and-so" stories) so there's no need to worry. I just wanted to warn you. Fangirls, you're welcome :)

Tony jumped out of the bed, a baseball bat in hand, ready to swing at what had scared him almost to death. He relaxed when he realized it was his Stark phone. "I really need to change that ringtone to something quieter," he muttered as he walked over to answer the call. The moment his hand was about to touch the phone, it stopped ringing. Tony glared at it for a moment before looking around his room. "Jarvis, who just tried to call me?" Tony walked over to the window to look out for a moment before he went to get dressed.

_"It was your doppelganger, sir,"_ came the AI's response. Tony hummed. _"He left you a message. Would you like me to play it?_ Tony nodded. He walked out of his bedroom dressed in his favorite Black Sabbath shirt with a long sleeved shirt under it and dark jeans. "Alright, let's hear what Mr. Downey Jr. had to say," Tony leaned against the bar and waited.

A second later he heard his own voice coming from the speakers around the room. _That will never stop being weird. I wonder if he feels the same way when he hears me talk._ Tony shrugged and focused on the message. "Hey, uh, Tony. I'm awake whenever you decide to drop by today," To Tony it sounded like he had _just_ woken up. "You're in luck, too. I don't have any plans but everyone else does, so the family won't be home to think I'm talking to myself," Tony laughed at that. "And would it hurt to tell me before you just randomly show up? I don't want to be caught doing something that I don't want you to see," The message ended, leaving Tony with a case of the giggles. The message was just so funny to him.

Tony poured himself a glass of his favorite drink and went down to his workshop to get the device. He opened the door and saw Dummy 'sleeping' in the corner. _Hmm._ Tony grabbed the device off the table he had left it on last night. He set the coordinates and closed his eyes before he pressed the button. The feeling still made his stomach queasy but he knew better than to try to open his eyes and watch what was happening around him when he traveled to the other dimension. He could tell that he'd arrived when his stomach instantly settled. Tony opened his eyes. He called Robert's name but didn't get a response so he decided to wander around and look for the actor.

When Tony got to what he thought was the bedroom, he rapped his knuckles against the door. "Robert, are you in there? Please don't tell me you fell asleep before I could even get here," he pushed the door open. The room was not as big as he would have thought. It was nice, though, he had to admit. Despite his better judgement, Tony found his feet taking him further into the room. He was looking at the pictures on the dresser when he noticed a sound that should have caught his attention the moment he was in the room. He spun around and found the door that must be the bathroom door. He moved closer and stuck his ear to the door to confirm that it was the source of the sound. He had just leaned over and cupped his hand to his ear when he heard the shower turn off. Tony turned to leave, but he didn't make it in time.

Robert walked out of the bathroom in a puff of steam, towel drying his hair. "I guess I should have mentioned that I was going to take a shower before you decided to visit today. I was too tired when I called so I forgot," Robert's words faded out when he caught sight of Tony frozen mid-step in the middle or reaching for the door to leave. He dropped the towel, a look of surprise on his face. Then he freaked out and reached down to grab the towel. That was when Tony realized that he was completely naked. Tony blushed bright red, exactly mirroring Robert, then turned around to face the door. "What the hell are you doing in my room?!" Robert sounded more embarrassed than angry. Tony heard him walk to the closet. He heard the door open then quickly close. "You can turn around now," came the other man's muffled voice.

"I don't really see what the problem is. You and I are the same person, just from different dimensions. That means we look the same naked," Tony joked to hide his embarrassment. Robert made an outraged noise but didn't say anything. Tony sighed then chuckled when he realized he had been caught in much the same position by Pepper. _Well, different **position** same situation_ Tony thought with another chuckle. "Don't feel bad. Pepper caught me in a bad situation before, worse than this. So really this is nothing," Tony heard Robert ask what Pepper had caught him doing. "Well, I was in my room, bored and alone one evening with nothing planned. I had told Jarvis to stop recording on the cameras in the room then, well, I went at it," Tony chuckled when Robert's head popped out of the closet.

The actor threw him a disgusted look then thought about it for a moment. "I guess that is worse than being caught just naked, but you're a guy. That's worse than being caught seeking your own release. And no don't even tell me how we're both the same person and how this is no different than seeing myself or you seeing yourself naked in the mirror because it's not the same. Please tell me you did not enjoy that," Robert hid in the closet again to finish dressing. He stepped out wearing an green ascot, beige suit jacket, dark blue button up shirt, green socks, hiking boots, and...lederhosen? Tony cracked up. He fell back against the door because he was laughing so hard he couldn't stand. "What?" Robert asked, indignant.

Tony tried for about five minutes to stop laughing and catch his breath to explain, but as soon as the giggles subsided and he would look up to tell Robert what he found funny, he would see the pants and Robert's expression and his hand still on the closet door and he would lose it again. He finally stopped laughing and decided to give up looking the other man in the eye. He opted instead to look at his feet. "You just came out of the closet dressed like what I would describe as a very flamboyant gay," he sniggered and covered his mouth with his hand to muffle the sound. "Do people really let you go out in public dressed like that?" Tony thought he was being a bit mean so he took a deep breath to compose himself.

Robert was unphased by the clothes comment. He was actually smiling a little. "Well, the reason I dress strangely is because it makes people smile and laugh. It makes people happy. And I like these clothes," Robert even went to far as to pose. Tony had to keep from laughing again. "If you have a problem with it then you can leave," he smiled when he said it, and Tony got the other reason he was wearing that. He knew Tony wouldn't really want to be seen, or unseen, with him dressed like that. Tony accepted the challenge.

Tony smiled back. "I don't have a problem with it. Why, did you think I would leave you alone if you wore that? I thought you wanted to hear the story of how I made this," he pulled the device out of his pocket and held it up so Robert could see it. The actor moved closer and tried to take the device to look at it, but Tony opened the door and stepped back into the hall and out of the other man's reach,"I guess not." Tony turned and walked back towards the living room. "Ah, ah, ah. You want me to leave. Unless you want me to stay and tell you the story," the genus smirked and turned around to face Robert. He could see the curiosity burning in the man's eyes. His same eyes. _Is this ever going to not weird me out?_ Tony thought of himself as attractive, but he was not falling for this man. He didn't feel attracted to him in the least. It was a reassuring thought, sort of.

Robert sighed and closed his eyes, debating for a moment with himself. He opened his eyes and looked at Tony, aghast. He put his hand over his heart like he'd been offended. "Of course I don't want you to leave. Why on Earth would you think that? Please sit down and tell me your story," Robert lead Tony to the couch and insisted he sit down. "Make yourself comfortable. Would you like something to drink?" Tony nodded and opened his mouth as Robert turned towards the kitchen. "And before you ask, no we do not have any alcohol. There's some soda, milk, hot chocolate, or water," the actor leaned around the door frame to wait for Tony's choice. Tony chose soda. Robert went and poured two glasses then walked back to the living room and handed on to Tony. Tony accepted the glass and nodded his thanks. Robert sat in the chair and leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, the glass between his hands.

"So, tell me how that amazing little device came to be," Robert sat there and waited. Tony took a drink from his glass then leaned back and took a deep breath, "Well...," he exhaled, laying down on the couch and propping his feet up.

  


I was sitting in my shop working on one of my suits because I needed to get away from everyone for a while. ("You've seen how annoyed I get with them and S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Robert nodded.) You know I work with Thor. (Another nod from Robert.) And you know I've dealt with Loki. I've seen magic. Thor had told me more than once about how he got from here to Asgard and back, how Loki would slip off to the other worlds using his magic. At first I was frustrated with his constant talk of magic. ("It was all he ever seemed to talk about. I swear he drove me mad.") I'm a man of science! I know I've seen things that make me question that, but I really don't trust it because I don't understand it. (Robert hummed thoughtfully.) I had started thinking more about what he said though. Not the magic itself. No, that was too broad a subject to try to understand just then. I thought about what he said when he was talking about the bifrost, about traveling to the other realms. I wondered, since that was possible, if it would be possible to travel to another dimension, like worlds parallel to ours that never touch. Different variations of our one world. ("Like yours here and mine." Robert nodded. He understood what Tony meant.)

So I was thinking about that one day. I thought about how it would be made possible from a scientific standpoint. I made up some plans for a device that would allow me to pinpoint a slight gap in the space-time continuum. With that information I had somewhere to start. From there ("And I hate to admit this") I was stumped. I had no idea how I could open a passage using that gap without tearing a hole and making a mess of things. I needed a way to slither through the gap and out the other side without affecting anything else. Figuring that out was the hardest part.

I decided to ask Thor if he knew how the bifrost worked. He didn't know, but he knew someone who did. He said he'd take me to meet them so I could ask. I was nervous about taking the bifrost to Asgard. I was also nervous about talking to whoever was the resident expert on bifrost travel. Yeah, I know. I don't usually get nervous. There's a first time for everything, I guess. I just don't like the idea of relying on something I don't understand and have no control over.

Anyway. So we went to someplace that no one would see and Thor yelled up at Heimdall and suddenly clouds came out of nowhere and started swirling around above us and then a tornado formed and was about to land on us. I'll admit I panicked. I grabbed Thor's arm and tried to pull him away. I think I said something like "Are you crazy?! There's a tornado forming right above us. Let's get to safety," and Thor just smiled down at me and laughed. I was confused until he looked up. I followed his gaze and saw the rainbow in the clouds and that's when it finally dawned on me that it was the bifrost. I said "Oh," when I figured it out and Thor laughed again. I threatened him. I told him not to tell the others about this or else. He just smiled and nodded while he watched the rainbow get closer to us.

Let me tell you, traveling by bifrost is not fun. It feels like you're on a bridge in one of those multicolored spinning tubes in a fun house. I was dizzy by the time we got to Asgard. I don't remember who he took me to, but I got remember the gist of what they talked about. It works by taking the point that you want to travel to and I guess pulling it closer to the point you plan on traveling from. It like creates a passage way from one door to another. But they warned me that it only works because the path is along the branches of Yggdrasil. So basically traveling by bifrost is like climbing the tree of life. Traveling from dimension to dimension is different. Thor ended up taking me to lots of magic users across the accessible realms and they helped me with the device.

This here (Tony held up the device for Robert to see.) has a lot of magic in it. Each person put their own spell on it. One to protect me while I travel. One to let me slip through the gap and get to the other dimension. One to keep others from following. One to close the gap behind me. One to prevent the things in between the dimensions from accessing either dimension. Things of that nature. I have to admit it was fascinating to watch it all happen. Traveling with it is like taking the bifrost. It pulls you into the flow of energy then drops you off at your destination. And all I have to do is figure out where I want to go and press this button. (He pointed it out to Robert.)

  


"Probably not as epic a story as it should be, but most of it I don't really understand. It was mostly one big magical blur," Tony shrugged and held the device out to Robert who had leaned forward and was holding his hand out for it. Robert took the device and carefully looked it over. It looked like an electronic handheld organizer with a flip cover on it. It had a display to put in the destination and one button. "Try not to press anything. I don't want to end up somewhere bad because you accidentally changed the coordinates," Robert ignored him then handed the device back. Tony checked to make sure nothing had been changed. He let out a relieved sigh when he saw that everything was the way it should be.

"So, that uses magic and science to take you where ever you want to go. Hmm," Robert seemed to be trying to wrap his mind around that. Tony sat there wondering how he could finally convince the actor that all of this was real. He sat upright and smiled. "What?" Robert looked at him, slightly alarmed.

Tony stood up and looked at Robert, still smiling widely. "How about I take you back with me? You can see the suits and the tower and maybe the Avengers and then you'll know this is all completely real," Robert gave him a weary look. He didn't seem sure he wanted to travel by magic to another dimension. Tony could see curiosity in his eyes, though. He just had to keep pushing the right buttons and Robert would come around. "I know you've always wanted to see a real life Iron Man suit. Now's your chance." Tony could see the curiosity getting the better of his cautiousness. " I might even let you take one out for a spin," Tony smiled, but doubted he would let the actor in one of his suits. It just depended.

That was the selling point. Robert nodded and stood up. "Alright. I'll come with you just to see," his eyes shone. Tony knew he'd be like a kid in a candy shop. Tony held out his hand to Robert, who eyed it cautiously. "What? Oh, we have to be touching in some way otherwise you'll just leave me behind." Tony nodded. Robert took his hand. "Hold on tight and don't let go. We wouldn't want you getting lost along the way," Tony said before pressing the button.

  


Robert opened his eyes once while they were traveling. He instantly regretted it. His head spun and he felt himself getting nauseous, so he kept his eyes tightly shut for the rest of the trip. Robert felt Tony take his hand back. "You can open your eyes now," he said. Robert opened his eyes, and stared. "Welcome to my Malibu home," Tony said holding his arms out proudly. It was like he was on the set for one of the movies, but it was complete. There wasn't a wall missing for the cameras and cast to come and go. It was the real Malibu house. Robert walked to the floor to ceiling windows first. He took in the view of the ocean. It was spectacular. He walked around the living room, Tony trailing behind. He went where Tony would let him go, the mechanic telling him what each room was. When he had basically toured the entire top floors of the house, he stopped and turned around to look at Tony.

Tony lead him down to the shop. Robert was having a hard time believing what he was seeing. There was Dummy cleaning up a mess on one of the many work tables, You was sweeping the floor, and the suits. Robert rubbed his eyes and even went to far as to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. He wasn't. As difficult as it was to believe, it was real. Robert went to stand in front of the Hall of Armors. He could feel his jaw drop and had to make a conscious effort to close his mouth and not gawk at the suits. A light bulb went on as he remembered what the mechanic had said before they left. He turned around to face Tony, his palms pressed together in a pleading gesture.

He could tell Tony knew exactly what he wanted. He kept it up until Tony nodded. "Fine," the other man sighed, "I'll let you take the Mark II out for a quick flight, but I'm coming up with you." Robert nodded. Tony asked Jarvis to suit them both up, him in the Mark II and Tony in the Mark III. Jarvis asked Tony if he thought it was a good idea letting him use one of the suits. "No one will see him, just me, you'll be helping him, I'll be there just in case, and you have to remember Rhodey ran off with one of my suits and he didn't know how to use it. He'll be fine." Tony smiled at Robert, who returned it.

Robert couldn't help the excitement that bubbled up inside as he was getting suited up. When both he and Tony were in their respective suits, Tony lead Robert outside so he wouldn't risk breaking anything as he was getting the hang of flying. Tony gave him a quick rundown of the basics then stepped back. Robert put the mask in place, smiling, then bent down a little before launching himself into the air with a delighted whoop.

He was breathless, he was so happy. This was the greatest thing he had ever done (aside from marrying Susan, and his kids of course). Robert saw Tony take off and heard his laughter through the com. He was having so much fun. Robert decided he wanted to just fly over the country to see it from a bird's-eye-view. It was spectacular. He flew all the way to New York in no time. He buzzed Central Park, marveling at just how large a space it really was. Robert decided to fly around Stark tower since he was right there. The tower was exactly what he knew from the movies, just like the suits and the Malibu house. _This is amazing_ , Robert thought as he continued his flying lesson. Tony and Jarvis gave him pointers, and together they flew in happy silence. "You should see the city at night. It's like seeing the stars above and below you all at once," Tony said in a soft voice so he wouldn't break the peace that had settled over them both as they flew. Robert filed that away for later. He would come back and see that.

Tony decided they had been out long enough when he pointed out that it had been three hours. Robert was startled. Instead of flying back to Malibu, Tony landed on Stark Tower. Jarvis took the suits off then Tony took Robert on an inside tour of the tower. It had been remade into the Avengers tower, so it wasn't anything like what was in the movies. Robert looked around much like he had when he admired the Malibu house. The biggest shock of being in the Avengers Tower was the fact that eventually he would cross paths with at least one member of the team. _They won't see you, remember?_ The thought comforted him slightly.

Just like he knew it would, it wasn't long before he saw one of the Avengers. Robert didn't know how he felt since he was looking at a scene that he would have preferred he wasn't part of. Bruce Banner was getting pissed off by someone whose name Robert just couldn't place. "They can't hurt me, can they?" he asked Tony worried. Tony shook his head no and Robert let out a relieved sigh. Tony ran off to get his suit and called the Avengers that weren't at the tower and weren't otherwise engaged. Robert was left standing there watching the madness unfold. Thor was trying to calm Bruce down but it wasn't working. Bruce was still going Hulk and there wasn't a whole lot that could be done about it now. Robert felt himself panicking as he watched poor Bruce lose the last of his control and change. Then the Hulk was standing there.

Before anyone knew what was happening, Hulk had grabbed the man, that Robert recognized with a shock as Obadiah Stane. _But he was killed! I know for a fact that he died._ Robert was confused. How was Obadiah alive and fighting the Hulk in his Iron Monger suit? Robert didn't have long to think before he was shaken out of his thoughts by a roar from Hulk. Tony chose that moment to come flying by the hole in the wall Hulk had just created by throwing Obadiah out it. "Are the others coming, Man of Iron?" Thor asked as he ran after Hulk. Hulk jumped out the hole after Obadiah. Tony nodded. " I hope they hurry up with that 'cure' or else we're going to have a huge mess on our hands," Tony said and Thor nodded, then they both took off after Hulk.

Robert ran over to the hole in the wall and looked down. The people on the street below were running away from where the Hulk was beating Obadiah into the road. A shadow fell over the street. Help had arrived. Cap and Thor dealt with Hulk, meaning they got him away from Stane while Natasha, Clint and Tony worried about the Iron Monger. Robert wondered what the "cure" was. A big metal box was slowly lowered in front of where the Hulk was struggling against Cap and Thor, who were holding his wrists to keep him from attacking Stane again. The box opened and Hulk momentarily forgot about Stane. He looked at the box, curious and cautious. Suddenly tons of puppies ran out of the box and started licking and cuddling Hulk. Hulk laughed, which was a sound Robert wasn't sure if he liked or not. _Is that really the "cure" Tony mentioned?_ It seemed to be. Moments later Hulk was replaced with Bruce once more.

Bruce smiled and gave Thor and Cap a thumbs up then went back to playing with the puppies. Thor and Cap nodded and went to help deal with what was left of Stane, or rather the robot Stane. Robert did a double take when he saw that Obadiah was just a robot in a fake Iron Monger suit. Now the question was who had built the robot?

Tony came back up to the hole and landed next to Robert. "I think it might be a good idea if I take you home now. I will call you when it's safe, that is if you want to come back out here again," Tony waited. Robert nodded, "Yes, please take me home. I don't want to get in the way. It's easier if I'm home so you don't have to worry about me." Tony nodded at that.

Robert got suited back up and they flew back to the Malibu house. Robert took the suit back off, but Tony left his on. He told Robert he needed to get back to the tower as soon as he got back to help out. Robert nodded. He understood. He just wanted to go home. Tony held out his hand and Robert took it. When they were finally in his home, Robert opened his eyes without realizing he had squeezed them shut. Tony said goodbye and told him if he wanted to come back when it was all clear to call him back after he got the message that everything was safe. Robert said his thanks then Tony was gone.

Robert walked over to his bed and flopped down onto it. He was tired now that the adrenaline had worn off from watching the fight. Now all he wanted to do was sleep. He had had enough excitement today to last him a lifetime. He just hoped that was all of that sort of excitement he would ever see. He drifted off to sleep, above the covers, his clothes still on, and was sound asleep by the time Susan and the kids were back. Susan smiled and got into bed next to her slumbering husband, being careful not to wake him. She needn't worry. Her crawling into bed was not what would rouse poor Robert from his dreams.


	3. I Chose It First!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Halloween. Tony and Robert both decide to dress up and attend not only Stark's Avengers only Halloween party, but the Avengers cast Halloween party the day after. This outta be interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween! Enjoy a wonderful Halloween chapter. This one's on me. lol :)

Robert woke up to a phone going off. It was playing AC/DC. _I don't have anything AC/DC related as a ringtone on any of my phones,_ Robert thought groggily. He got up and located the source of the loud music. It was the Stark phone. Robert rubbed his eyes and walked into the living room to take the call so no one would overhear the conversation.

"Happy Halloween, Robert!" came Tony's cheerful voice from the other end of the line when he answered the call. "If you don't have plans, I'm hosting a costume party and I'd like for you to come. I know it's raining there and it will be all day, so you probably won't go trick or treating. It's raining here but the party will be in doors. So, what do you say?" The line was quiet for a moment, then Robert yawned and stretched.

He shrugged even though he knew Tony couldn't see him. "I don't know. Exton is to young yet for a haunted house, Indio is going to a Halloween party with some friends, and yeah it's raining so I doibt we'll be going trick or treating. Besides, Exton is to young to be having candy, too. I'll have to ask Susan if we have any plans, though. When I find out I'll let you know, okay?" He heard Tony hum an affirmative then he ended the call. Robert just looked at the phone and sighed. He went to ask Susan if she had anything planned. She said she was going to take Exton to a costume party at the daycare. She told Robert he could stay home if he wanted to. Robert nodded.

Robert waited for Susan to leave with Exton. She was dressed as a princess and Exton was a dashing prince. He said goodbye to them both, giving each a kiss, then watched them leave. The only one left was Indio. It didn't take long before he came downstairs dressed up as Tony Stark. Robert chuckled. "Nice costume. You outta win a few contests with that one." Indio smiled and said goodbye to his father then left. Robert was now home alone. He went upstairs and grabbed his Halloween costume and put it in a bag to change into right before the party. Then he went and called Tony.

"I would be honored to attend your Halloween party, Tony." Tony sounded ecstatic when he said he'd be right over. He wasn't joking, either. In no time at all Tony was standing in the living room waiting for Robert to be sure he had everything. "Alright, let's go. And are you going to let the others see me?" he reached out and took Tony's offered hand and he pressed the button on the device.

When they got to the tower, Tony nodded. You'll be in costume, so no one will be suspicious. And you need to have fun and mingle with the team anyway. It'll be good for you." Tony grinned at him and Robert smiled back.

Robert's phone went off just then. The caller ID said it was Mark Ruffalo. "Hey, Robert. The guys and I thought it would be fun to throw and Avengers Halloween party at the set. You wanna come? It'll be tomorrow since we're all trick or treating with the kids tonight." Robert heard the smile in Mark's voice and he smiled, too. It was dry where they all were and they had kids that were old enough to trick or treat. He could hardly wait for the day he would be able to take Exton trick or treating. He told Mark he would love to go to the party. Tony waves his hands at Robert to get his attention. When the actor looked at him, he mouthed "Can I come, too?" Robert nodded. He asked Mark if it was alright if he brought a friend along. Mark said it would be fine. They said goodbye then Robert put his phone back in his pocket.

Tony was extremely happy. "Yeah. You get to meet the Avengers and I get to meet the actors who played the Avengers," he smiled widely and went to continue the decorating that someone had left in a hurry. Robert helped and soon the tower had a wonderful haunted house feeling. Robert was having fun. He enjoyed decorating for Halloween. Being an actor meant that everyday was Halloween because he could dress up, but it was nothing compared to the actual holiday. Tony was enjoying himself, too. They even put on music, the speakers blaring 'This is Halloween (Pop Version)' by Marilyn Manson. 

The sun started to set and Tony told Robert it was time for them to get into costume. Robert nodded and went to the room Tony indicated he should change in. Robert walked out at the same time Tony did. They two men looked at each other. Confused at first, then they both laughed. "We picked the same thing to dress up as," Robert chuckled seeing Tony in a Sherlock Holmes costume. They weren't the same outfit, but they were both obviously Sherlock Holmes. Robert had chosen the outfit from the cover of the first movie and Tony had chosen the outfit from the cover of the second movie. "Should one of us change?" Tony shook his head and said it was funny. Robert agreed.

They didn't have to wait long before the first guests arrived. It was an Avengers only party (Tony was hosting a public party at the same time in another location and he didn't plan on making an appearance so Rhodey, Pepper, and Happy were going in his stead) so there weren't going to be many people there. Bruce was the first to arrive. "I'm Bill Nye the Science Guy," he smiled and said just to clarify. Tony introduced Robert to Bruce, saying Robert was a friend of his. "It's nice to meet you, Robert. And great costumes, guys. Did you plan that?" Tony and Robert chuckled and shook their heads. Bruce laughed and went inside to wait for the others.

The next people to arrive were Steve and Phil. "I decided to dress up as Superman," Steve smiled. Robert smiled back, thinking that it was the perfect costume for him. Coulson's costume wasn't hard to identify. He was dressed as Captain America, which probably both flattered Steve and made him a bit nervous. They both walked inside and Robert could hear them talking to Bruce. "It's no surprise Coulson dressed like Cap," Tony said to Robert in a whisper. Robert nodded, a small smile playing around the edge of his lips. He was watching Steve teaching Coulson how to throw the shield.

Thor came not long after Steve and Coulson. He was with another person that was staying back in the darkness behind him. "Hello, Man of Iron! Happy Halloween!" Thor grinned widely at them. It contrasted with his costume, since he had decided to go as his brother, Loki.Thor started to walk inside until he noticed the figure wasn't following him. "Come, it is alright, brother," he waved his hand and smiled at the shadowy figure.

Robert felt the hair on the back of his neck prickle. Tony seemed unconcerned. "I don't want to. I look ridiculous. I can't believe I let you talk me into this, brother." the figure grumbled. Robert recognized the voice and his blood ran cold. _It can't be..._ Thor walked back outside and grabbed the man's arm and pulled him towards the door. Sure enough, the light fell on the figure and revealed the man to be Loki. He was dressed as Thor, which explained the bellyaching he was doing. "Brother, come > It will be fine. All of our friends are in costume. You look wonderful." Loki grumbled but finally let Thor lead him into the tower. Robert gave Tony a disbelieving look. Tony just shrugged and mouthed "He's part of the team now." Robert nodded. He was still uneasy.

Clint and Natasha were next. Clint was sporting a Green Arrow costume. Natasha was dressed as Black Canary. Nat gave Tony a glare when he opened his mouth to say something. He quickly shut his mouth and instead shut his mouth and ushered them both inside.

Robert was surprised when Fury and Maria Hill arrived at the party. Fury was a pirate (no surprise there) and Maria was Wonder Woman. Fury glared at Tony as they walked inside and Tony just smiled sweetly back. Robert had been standing behind him in the door so people wouldn't confuse him for Tony. He figured someone would sometime that night.

And again it seemed Robert was right. Tony was off talking to Bruce about science related stuff. Robert had been tailing him the entire time, but he couldn't follow the conversation let alone contribute to it, so he decided to mingle instead of stand there awkwardly. Steve walked over to him with a bright smile. He hadn't dyed his hair black, but somehow it still worked. Steve looked around the room then down at Robert. "So, you decided to invite Director Fury after all." They both looked at the pirate that was, at the present, talking to Phil and Maria about something that Robert figured was S.H.I.E.L.D. related. When his words finally sank in Robert smiled up at Steve politely. "I'm sorry Steve, but I believe the Sherlock you're looking for is currently talking to Bruce." Steve blushed slightly and apologized before he walked over to Tony and Bruce. Tony and Robert decided that Robert should talk in his Sherlock voice for the duration of the party while Tony just talked normally. After that no one mixed them up. All they had to do was say 'Hello' and if the reply either had an accent or didn't they knew which Sherlock they were talking to.

"So, you and Tony are friends, huh?" Clint asked. Natasha stood next to him. Robert nodded. "I thought you were his long lost twin brother. You guys look exactly alike." Natasha was scrutinizing him. "People say that to us all the time when we're together." Robert shrugged. Nat and Clint had talked to Robert some more after that, mostly Clint wanting to know why Robert was friends with Tony. Robert had just told him they had quite a few things in common.

Thor was a lot more comfortable around Robert. "Hello, friend! Are you enjoying the celebration?" Robert nodded and Thor grinned. "It amazes me how much you and the Man of Iron look similar, and not just your costumes," Thor was looking at him as if he was trying to figure out why that was. He eventually shrugged and smiled again. "It matters not. A friend of Tony's is a friend of mine," and with that Thor gave Robert a hug then went to talk to Bruce and Steve. Robert saw Loki as far from the others as he could be. He also noticed they were leaving him alone. He didn't feel like talking to Loki yet so he walked over and chatted with Fury, Hill, and Coulson for a little while.

Robert spent the entire party walking around and talking to everyone at least once, well everyone but Loki. Robert was to frightened to go over to the god because he was afraid of what Loki would do. Instead he talked to everyone and hit the little snack bar that had been set up. Robert made a point to avoid the alcohol while Tony made a beeline for it three times. When he tried to go for a fourth glass, Robert told him that wasn't a good idea and finally, with the help of Steve and Bruce, managed to convince him to drink something none alcoholic. Tony wasn't happy, but he did agree. Robert saw him get a glass of regular punch instead. He grumbled while he sipped it until Bruce started talking to him again.

The party was so much fun, but after a while Robert started to feel bad for Loki. The god was standing in the farthest corner of the room, his arms crossed, glaring at the floor. Robert took a deep breath and decided to go over and talk to him. "Um, hi, uh, Loki. I know you're not enjoying the party. Can I ask you why?" Robert was surprised his voice came out as controlled as it did. He even used his Sherlock voice.

One of Loki's brows went up and he lifted his green eyes to meet Robert's brown ones. Robert felt his skin prickle. "I did not want to attend this party because I am dressed like my brother," he indicated the outfit he wore. "I also know that most of the people in this room despise me even though they have allowed me to join their team. I do not even know why I was invited to begin with." Robert wasn't sure, but he thought he saw sadness in Loki's eyes before the god looked away.

"You want my opinion?" Loki's eyes flicked back to Robert. Robert took that as a yes. "I think you were invited because Tony wanted you here. He wouldn't have invited you otherwise. I also think you were invited because Thor wouldn't have come without you. He is your brother and I know Thor would want you to come and have fun. I've seen him sending worried looks your way. He knows you aren't happy. Why don't you at least talk to Tony, Thor, and myself?" Loki raised a brow again. "I know Fury doesn't seem to care for me talking to him, and Natasha seems suspicious of me but I still talked to them at least once." Robert waited nervously. He hoped Loki wouldn't throw him into the refreshment table or anything.

Loki sighed. "I suppose I could mingle with these people. I will try to enjoy myself, for my brother's sake," and with that Loki pushed off from the wall and walked over to talk to Tony.

Robert let out a relieved sigh. He almost pissed his pants when a large hand clamped down on his shoulder. He looked up and saw Thor standing there smiling. "Thank you for convincing my brother to try to have fun. You are much nicer to him than some of the others," Thor glanced back and Robert knew who he was talking about.

"You're welcome, Thor. I don't like seeing people go somewhere and not have any fun." He smiled at Thor who shook his shoulder, thanked him again, then went to talk to his brother. Loki actually stayed and talked to Thor and soon the two were laughing together. It was a nice sight.

The night wore on. Robert was getting a bit tired. He walked over and sat down near the bar. He felt a presence and looked up to see Loki sitting in the chair next to him. "Hello, Robert. You know, when you spoke to me before, I was almost sure that you were British, but that isn't the case is it?" Robert shook his head. Loki smiled. "Then you do a convincing impression." Loki hesitated and looked down at the bar top. "Thank you, for talking to me when the others wouldn't," Loki had said it so low Robert almost couldn't hear him. "I am not used to such kindness from strangers, only my brother. It caught me off guard." Loki looked over at Robert and smiled a genuine, pleasant smile. Robert returned the smile. They both turned around and looked when they heard Fury yelling.

"I can't believe you got drunk, Agent Coulson. Come on, we're going back to headquarters," Fury grabbed Coulson before he could grab onto Steve again. Then Fury, with the help of Hill, Natasha, and Clint, dragged the man out of the tower. Steve blushed.

The party went off without a hitch after that. Robert had talked to each of the Avengers as well as Coulson, Hill, and Fury. He had even talked to Loki, though he was nervous almost the entire time. When it was late and the rest had started to leave, Robert was extremely glad he had come. He and Tony said goodbye to everyone as they left. Loki and Thor smiled at Robert when they passed him and he smiled back. Bruce thanked Tony for inviting him. Steve apologized for Coulson. Then the tower was empty again. "Pepper and Happy should be back soon," Tony told Robert. Robert nodded.

Robert and Tony both changed back into their normal clothes. Robert noticed he had gotten a text from Mark about the party tomorrow. He read the list of who would be wearing what costumes and he smiled. Robert went to Tony and they headed back to his home in **his** New York. When they got back, Robert ran to put his costume on the bed then came back down and told Tony what costume to pick up for the party tomorrow and what time to be here. Tony smiled and nodded, then left. Robert went to the kitchen, a grin on his face. Susan and Indio got home at about the same time. Susan asked if he had had fun. Robert nodded. "I had a blast," he said. Susan nodded and went to change, leaving Robert to put Exton to bed. He said goodnight to Exton and then Indio.

Robert crawled into bed next to his sleeping wife and kissed her cheek. Then he laid down and fell asleep, a huge smile on his face. He had made friends with the Avengers, and even Loki. Robert wondered what tomorrow would bring. In another dimension Tony was wondering the same thing. They would just have to wait until tomorrow to find out. Happy Halloween!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's not a terribly long chapter. I didn't want anything bad to happen on Halloween. There may be more excitement in the next chapter. You won't know until you read it. Stay tuned. :)

**Author's Note:**

> I'll be writing about Robert/Tony, Mark/Bruce, Chris H./Thor, Chris E./Steve, and Tom/Loki. I will also branch out from Marvel and write about Benedict/Sherlock, Khan, Smaug (or human Smaug); Martin/John, Bilbo; Jensen/Dean; Jared/Sam; David Tennant/Tenth Doctor; Ian/Damon; Paul/Stefan; Misha/Castiel; and more. Suggest some actors and/ or characters you wanna see meet the other. And please, suggest some crazy thing the two can do. I love feedback. It helps me grow as a writer.


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